The present invention relates to a new and distinctive jalapeno pepper (Capsicum annuum) designated Line 437. All publications cited in this application are herein incorporated by reference.
There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possess the traits to meet the program goals. The selected germplasm is crossed in order to recombine the desired traits and through selection varieties or parent lines are developed. The goal is to combine in a single variety or hybrid an improved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm. These important traits may include higher yield, field performance, fruit and agronomic quality, such as fruit shape and length, resistance to diseases and insects, and tolerance to drought and heat.
The pepper (Capsicum annuum) originated in Mexico and the neighboring areas of Central America. Soon after Columbus' discovery of this plant, it was grown worldwide and used as a spice and a medicine. Today, pepper plants can be found growing wild in tropical areas around the world. Many countries grow it as a crop. Many of the chile peppers can be found in Latin America and China, but the United States prefers milder forms of chile peppers containing lower amounts of the compound capsaicin. Capsaicin is responsible for a pepper's hotness or pungency. Peppers are used for fresh consumption, and they are processed into powders, sauces, and salsas. Many of the new cultivars grown today can be traced back to the early plants.
The genus Capsicum and species annuum includes most of the peppers grown in the United States. These can be further grouped into two broad categories: chile peppers which are pungent (hot) and sweet peppers which are non-pungent (mild). The United States produces four percent of the world's capsicum peppers (sweet and hot), ranking sixth behind China, Mexico, Turkey, Spain, and Nigeria. Jalapeno peppers are a common chile pepper and are found in virtually every retail produce department. Grown commercially in most states, the U.S. industry is largely concentrated in California and Florida, which together accounted for 78% of output in 2000. New Jersey, Georgia, and North Carolina round out the top five producing states. Economic Research Service, USDA, Vegetables and Melons Outlook/VGS-288 (Dec. 14, 2001).
Jalapeno peppers are hot chile peppers named for the capital city Xalapa, in the Mexican state of Veracruz where they are traditionally cultivated. They are a staple of Mexican cooking and can be canned, sliced, pickled, jellied, and smoked. When they are smoke cured, jalapenos are the basis for a sauce commonly known as chipotle. Young jalapenos are vibrant or dark green, and turn dark red as they mature. Jalapeno peppers are eaten raw, cooked, dried, stuffed, immature, and mature. Often nutritional content is altered by the changes in the way they are consumed. Peppers are an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Calcium. Red peppers have more of these qualities than the immature green peppers.
Peppers grown in temperate regions are herbaceous annuals. However, where temperatures do not drop below freezing, peppers are herbaceous perennials. A pepper plant's growth habit may be prostrate, compact, or erect, but it is determinate in that after it produces nine to eleven leaves a single stem terminates in flowers. These plants are grown for the edible fleshy fruit produced by this dichotomous growth. Peppers are non-climacteric which means they do not produce ethylene. They need to stay on the vine to continue the ripening process. A deep taproot will form if the plant root system is uninjured during transplanting. The spindle root will develop fibrous secondary root systems spreading laterally and downward. On the soil surface the stem will produce adventitious roots, but not as easily as tomatoes. The leaves of the pepper plant arise singly and are simple, entire, and asymmetrical. Typical of all Solanaceous plants, the leaves are arranged alternately on the stem. They are shiny and glabrous and vary in shape from broadly ovate to ovate lanceolate. The flowers develop singly or in twos or threes continuously as the upper structure of the plant proliferates. The corolla is white and five lobed while the anthers are bluish or yellowish in color. The flowers have an open anther formation and will indefinitely self-pollinate. They are also pollinated by insects, which increases the chances of cross-pollination. Unlike tomatoes, whose pollen becomes nonviable in high temperatures, the pepper flower's pollen is not extremely heat sensitive and it remains viable up to 100° Fahrenheit producing fruit throughout the season.
The fruit of a pepper plant is classified as a berry with colors from green, yellow, red, purple, black, brown, white, and orange. Green is an immature fruit, yet commonly eaten this way, and as the fruit matures it changes color. In most commercial cultivars, color changes are from green to red, green to yellow, or green to orange. Usually, fruits of the purple and white varieties have these colors as they develop, and therefore do not have a green stage. For fruit to set, the ovaries need to be fertilized. Auxin is then produced by the seeds, which determine fruit cell elongation. The number of fertile seeds will determine the size and shape of the fruit. The seeds develop on the interior and attach to the veins. Fully developed seeds are kidney shaped. There are about 4,500 seeds per ounce.
Pepper is an important and valuable field crop. Thus, a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding pepper hybrids that are agronomically sound. The reasons for this goal are obviously to maximize the amount of fruit produced on the land used, as well as to improve the fruit agronomic qualities. To accomplish this goal, the pepper breeder must select and develop pepper plants that have the traits that result in superior parental lines for producing hybrids.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification.